La Liga 2018-19: The Next Generation

acf69

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The closest top team from where we live is Juventus, and my kids became big fans last year and we have been visiting games in the stadium.

Although I am not a big fan of the person Ronaldo, I have to say seeing him play in the stadium the guy is real. The amount of energy he is bringing including forcing everyone on the team to step up is unbelievable, and it is not hard to see why Juventus is doing very well and why Real is strugling, despite the strong players they have.
 

Zososoxfan

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The closest top team from where we live is Juventus, and my kids became big fans last year and we have been visiting games in the stadium.

Although I am not a big fan of the person Ronaldo, I have to say seeing him play in the stadium the guy is real. The amount of energy he is bringing including forcing everyone on the team to step up is unbelievable, and it is not hard to see why Juventus is doing very well and why Real is strugling, despite the strong players they have.
That's interesting and thanks for sharing. I watched Juve-Inter yesterday though and CR7 was dreadful. Kept up his aggressive play but lost the ball numerous times and still plays no defense.
 

rguilmar

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Quick bump of this thread.

Sorta Hay Liga. Barcelona have pulled slightly away from Atletico and the midway point and look to have righted the ship a bit after a shaky start to the campaign. Atletico have put together a nice unbeaten run to separate themselves from the pack. If they could only score more (I know Costa has been hurt). Real Madrid have looked very un-Madrid like, and most people would point to the failure to replace CR7 with anyone. They sit in 4th behind Sevilla on goal differential. That’s where the table gets interesting- Alaves, Getafe, Betis, Sociedad, Girona, and Espanyol round out the top half of the table.

Seeing Valencia (after a great campaign last year) in the bottom half, and Villarreal and Bilbao fighting relagation feels wrong to me. Assuming Huesca are destined for the drop, the fight to avoid the other two spots should be fun to watch. The gap from 6th to 18th is only nine points. Bilbao have never been relegated, Villarreal seem to have too much talent. Will tiny Eibar survive? I’d like to see Celta stay up (and Depor get promoted) to keep Galicia represented. Rayo Vallecano have struggled quite a bit, but are fun to watch at home.

What is going at Real? I know they have huge injury problems and they won the game at Betis, but giving up 73% possession? This is not a knock on Real Betis, who beat Barca this year, and are very tough at home. But Madrid still had the likes of Modric, Casemiro, Caraval, and only 27% of the ball. They really parked the bus, especially in the second half. Also, Isco on the bench? I know results come first, but wow! I assume fans aren’t too pleased but any insight would be welcome. Maybe punting on La Liga, get some youngsters a bit of exposure, and a deep UCL run will satisfy the masses?
 

rguilmar

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Such a strange season:
Only seven teams with a positive goal differential
Bilbao have righted the ship recently but still sit fourth (!!!) among Basque teams
Villarreal sit in 19th- Cazorla, Bacca wow
Only nine points separate 18th and 5th
At the top, it’s been rather ho-hum for a while now. Barca dropped two points, Atletico dropped three.
 

Zososoxfan

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I don't have time to write-up some thoughts regarding La Liga, but Real and Barca have the first leg of their Copa semifinal today at 2:45pm. I don't think EV was going to rest more than 1-2 guys for a semifinal tie anyway, but now that this has become a Clasico, I think EV goes all in on burying Madrid.

Barca's schedule this month is brutal:

2/6 - Madrid (Copa)
2/10 - @Bilbao (12)
2/16 - Valladolid (14)
2/19 - @Lyon (UCL)
2/23 - @Sevilla (4)
2/27 - @Madrid (Copa)
3/2 - @Madrid (!) (3)

Finally a break, then:

3/10 - Rayo (18)
3/13 - Lyon (UCL)
3/17 - @Betis (6)

EV absolutely needs to rotate @Bilbao and even more so against Valladolid. @Bilbao he should rest 2-4 starters considering they will be coming off a Clasico, and Valladolid is dead last in La Liga in Goals Scored, so might be a good time to give the defensive players a rest.
 

teddykgb

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That Lyon team gave City some real trouble in group stage. Given the style similarities between City and Barca (unfortunately our little Argentine is a smidge worse than yours) that is a tie Barca need to be careful for. They should win it but I would agree that it makes the month a bit more tricky
 

Zososoxfan

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Lyon will be a stiff test, but one that should be exciting. It's not just the quality of the opposition though, it's the mere number of fixtures. Including the 2/2 match against Sevilla, that's 8 matches in the month of February. I wouldn't expect any rotation for UCL matches nor against Sevilla and Real. That's why the Copa matchup against Real is a real PITA - EV and the Board will not entertain any notions of giving Real any leeway.
 

rguilmar

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I don't have time to write-up some thoughts regarding La Liga, but Real and Barca have the first leg of their Copa semifinal today at 2:45pm. I don't think EV was going to rest more than 1-2 guys for a semifinal tie anyway, but now that this has become a Clasico, I think EV goes all in on burying Madrid.

Barca's schedule this month is brutal:

2/6 - Madrid (Copa)
2/10 - @Bilbao (12)
2/16 - Valladolid (14)
2/19 - @Lyon (UCL)
2/23 - @Sevilla (4)
2/27 - @Madrid (Copa)
3/2 - @Madrid (!) (3)

Finally a break, then:

3/10 - Rayo (18)
3/13 - Lyon (UCL)
3/17 - @Betis (6)

EV absolutely needs to rotate @Bilbao and even more so against Valladolid. @Bilbao he should rest 2-4 starters considering they will be coming off a Clasico, and Valladolid is dead last in La Liga in Goals Scored, so might be a good time to give the defensive players a rest.
This is why I wouldn’t have been too upset if Sevilla had knocked Barca off in the Copa. February will be tough.

Valladolid at home is a definite rest game, as is Rayo. At Betis is tough game, just ask the big boys from Madrid. I’m always cautious about games in Bilbao. The Lion’s Den can be unwelcoming to say the least.
 

Zososoxfan

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With Real winning the Madrid derby and Barca drawing at San Mames, Barca's lead to now 2nd place Real is down to 6 with the Clasico at the Bernabeu still to play. Barca's GD is 20 better than Real, but there are cracks. Arthur's injury forced Vidal into action and he was just as bad as Coutinho yesterday (albeit with lower expectations). Nevertheless, the team played much better when Alena was in. Dembele is also such a clear upgrade over Coutinho and really, I would've preferred for Malcom to have had an opportunity to build on his terrific Clasico performance. I think EV will start giving Malcom opportunities over Couts and maybe try Couts as the attacking mid with in the MF3, although Couts did not do well with that earlier this season.
 

Zososoxfan

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It's kinda jarring that we don't have any Real Madrid fans on the board, but nevertheless, in light of Kepa's stunt, Bale had his own little hissy fit Sunday after scoring the winning penalty against Levante. Roll the tape:


Basically, Bale is a loner at Madrid and rather than step into the giant void that CRonaldo left, Bale has had a season similar to his others in Spain. He will almost certainly be back in the EPL next season. I hope he signs for Chelsea!
 

bosox4283

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I happened to be at the Madrid derby at Calder...I mean, Wanda...a few weeks ago, and was sitting just a few rows up from the pitch. I had a front-row seat of Bale's "flicking off" -- it wasn't a middle finger but rather that arm-crossing move -- of the crowd. It was bizarre but perhaps seen as an isolated incident. This week's non-celebration affirms he's not happy there.

I think Real Madrid always played better without Bale, even if he has/has had the ability to do something spectacular at a given moment. His speed has benefited the team's play and his skill has helped, but I found that the overall quality improves without him.
 

Zososoxfan

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Barca-Real finish of their Copa tie this afternoon at the Bernabeu after drawing 1-1 at Camp Nou. From the Barca side, I'm hoping that EV continues to try out the 4-2-3-1 with Messi as the center of the 3, with Couts on the left and Dembele on the right. This gets the best attackers in their best positions with balance. It also lets Busi and Rak have their roles clarified a bit. The one drawback to this is that the FBs will likely have less license to go forward, but hey, if you want to get all your shiny attacking toys out there, something has to give. Moreover, with the double pivot Barca should be able to protect the wings when the FBs do jump into attack. Specifically, when Alba overlaps Couts because Couts is not fast enough to stretch the wing, the entire back 6 will need to shift left. Although Malcom ran Marcelo ragged last match, I'd be surprised to see him start. I think EV goes full bore best XI in the 4-2-3-1

MATS
Alba-Pique-Lenglet-Semedo
Rak-Busi
Couts-Messi-Dembele
Suarez

This was used in the second half of Sevilla and Barca came roaring back from down 2-1 at the Sanchez Pizjuan to finish 4-2.

On the Real side, I guess the spotlight is on Bale and whether he can play John McEnroe angry good. He's clearly on the outs with the club, but he's still talented. With Vinicius still doing well and Benz I guess the de facto leader of the squad, it will be interesting to see how Real look in the Clasico Part I (Barca-Real have another La Liga match at the Bernabeu on Saturday).
 

Zososoxfan

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Barca went into the Bernabeu twice in a week and won both times, without conceding a goal. Flo must be irate. While the Copa doesn't matter much, it always hurts to get dumped out by your rivals, especially when they are also crushing you in the domestic competition that DOES matter. Real are now 12 points back of Barca and are closer to 4th (6 points) than the top of La Liga. TBH, I didn't even recognize some of the names that played for Real during these matches (Valverde??). Bale sucks and is clearly disinterested. Former promising stars Isco and Asensio were nondescript. Ramos picked a fight with Messi and continues to be a POS. Vinicius is a beast, but Roberto kept him in check. Arthur makes the 4-3-3 work (EV finally put Dembele on the right and it made the team much better. Vidal had his best performance for Barca as a 20-25 minute sub. Pique and Lenglet are insanely good. Suarez seems to be off the schneides. Courtois had a nice match, but was outshined by Makes All The Saves.

I hope Getafe or Alaves can hold onto the 4th spot instead of Sevilla. It would be nice for that change of pace. I feel like Valencia may also make a push down the stretch.
 

rguilmar

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I hope Getafe or Alaves can hold onto the 4th spot instead of Sevilla. It would be nice for that change of pace. I feel like Valencia may also make a push down the stretch.
I’m with you on this. I’d love to see a new team grab a UCL spot. A lot of us would be hard pressed to name many players on either squad, and could probably more easily rattle off more players on 18th placed Villarreal than either squad. Getafe in particular look to have earned the spot so far with +11 goal differential- 4th best in La Liga and one goal behind Real Madrid!

Sevilla have been playing pretty poorly since their hot start. They’ll do what they’ve always done next season and win the Europa League.

Valencia look like they’ve captured last season’s form and style. They were pretty convincing last weekend over Bilbao, while having really good players on the bench (Soler, Gameiro, Goncalo Guedes, former Gunners Gabriel and Coquelin, not to mention Garay who is out injured). My gut tells me with form, depth, and quality that Valencia will get to 4th, especially if they avoid more draws (15!!! so far). I have a soft spot for them having seen some games at the Mestalla. Great fans, great club who have been through some recent tough times, great stadium.

Speaking of Valencia, rival Villarreal are still fighting to avoid relegation. Only four points separate last place Huesca with 16th place Valladolid. Five teams for two spots.

Not sure why I’m obsessed with this fact, but Athletic Bilbao continue to be the 4th Basque club in La Liga despite their recent surge. One good weekend could see them jump to second, but it’s still crazy to me.
 

bosox4283

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The news is that Zidane will be returning as Real Madrid's coach just nine months after deciding to depart. When Zidane left, he hinted that he foresaw some struggles, so it's a bit odd that he's coming back at this point. Maybe Zidane thinks that now that the trouble is out in the open he can institute his own changes (rather than having to go through the rough patch) or maybe the money is a motivator or maybe he's just bored.

I think the whole scenario is bizarre, but it's Real Madrid and the club seems to enjoy some level of turmoil under Florentino Perez's leadership.
 

Zososoxfan

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The news is that Zidane will be returning as Real Madrid's coach just nine months after deciding to depart. When Zidane left, he hinted that he foresaw some struggles, so it's a bit odd that he's coming back at this point. Maybe Zidane thinks that now that the trouble is out in the open he can institute his own changes (rather than having to go through the rough patch) or maybe the money is a motivator or maybe he's just bored.

I think the whole scenario is bizarre, but it's Real Madrid and the club seems to enjoy some level of turmoil under Florentino Perez's leadership.
From a coaching career perspective it makes sense. As you said, he saw the problems coming without CR7 and removed his name from the mess. He gets to come in, assess where the squad is (namely, what role is there left for the old guard, if any) and pick his targets in time for the summer. For his troubles, I'm sure he will get paid handsomely. The other thing in this is that perhaps Juve told him Allegri wasn't going anywhere even if they bow out against Mighty Atleti! I'm convinced that one if not both Hazard and Mbappe is coming. Who else will join them.
 

bosox4283

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From a coaching career perspective it makes sense. As you said, he saw the problems coming without CR7 and removed his name from the mess. He gets to come in, assess where the squad is (namely, what role is there left for the old guard, if any) and pick his targets in time for the summer. For his troubles, I'm sure he will get paid handsomely. The other thing in this is that perhaps Juve told him Allegri wasn't going anywhere even if they bow out against Mighty Atleti! I'm convinced that one if not both Hazard and Mbappe is coming. Who else will join them.
Bale is now gone since he and Zidane don't see eye-to-eye, so I have to think Real Madrid will most certainly go after Hazard now.
 

rguilmar

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What a week to be a Villarreal supporter.

Over the weekend, take a 2-0 lead at halftime over fellow strugglers Celta Vigo at Balaidos only to lose 3-2 (Iago Aspas with a brace on his return).
During the week fall behind Barca 2-0 at La Ceramica, come back and take a 4-2 lead into the 90th minute only to have Messi do Messi things on a free kick and Suarez equalizing in the 93rd with a golazo.
Currently one point above the drop, and to add to the misery rival Valencia are pushing for the Champions League. Ouch!
 

Zososoxfan

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Highlights from the above-mentioned match are absolutely fucking bonkers

I didn't get to watch the first half and only passively watched the second, but it seems clear that Malcom should be getting more run at the expense of Coutinho. Also, anyone who doubts Pique's value should watch this. Big Sam may not be all the way back from injury, but the backline clearly faltered without Pique.
 

rguilmar

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Villarreal’s wild week continued. Down 2-1 they won a penalty in the 89th minute. Santi Carzola hit it right at the keeper, and the Yellow Submarine have fallen back barely above relegation on goal differential.

With La Liga all but won by Barca, most of us will probably be most interested in the 4th spot and who will be relegated. It would be nice to see a team like Getafe go to UCL next season, but they’ll have to hold off Sevilla and Valencia, who lost their 17 match unbeaten streak to Rayo who hadn’t won in 9 games- football amiright???

Girona and Levante have both hit rough patches and are both in the relegation fight. Even Huesca (24 points) has a shot at survival just 6 points away from safety. Celta Vigo have surged a bit since the return of Iago Aspas. Not sure who will survive the drop, but it would take a brave man to bet against Aspas who seems like he’d rather die than let Celta go down. Should be fun.
 

rguilmar

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Looks like the interesting fights will be for Europe and relegation.

Sevilla learned the hard way not to flail arms in the box, conceding two penalties (both via VAR) and getting a red card as a result in the loss at Getafe. Valencia won their fourth in five, this time somehow winning at Betis who were the better side throughout. Two great goals by Goncalo Guedes (finally fully fit) was the difference. Getafe lead both Sevilla and Valencia by 2 points for 4th with five to play. Part of me wants to see Getafe go to the UCL, but I respect the continued rebirth of Valencia too. Interesting to see who gets that final Champions League spot.

The fight for survival has more teams now. Villarreal have won their last two while Celta have won 3 of 5 since the return of Iago Aspas. They’re both not safe yet, but they’re much safer than they were. Huesca are undefeated in their last four, but also winless. They need wins, not draws. Girona have dropped five straight to fall to 16th, just two points above relegation and tied on points with Levante. It looks like Rayo and Huesca are in serious trouble, with one of Valladolid, Levante, and Girona joining them. Two points separate them with five to go. Valladolid just can’t score, so I’d think they’re most likely to go down. Should be fun to watch.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Looks like the interesting fights will be for Europe and relegation.

Sevilla learned the hard way not to flail arms in the box, conceding two penalties (both via VAR) and getting a red card as a result in the loss at Getafe. Valencia won their fourth in five, this time somehow winning at Betis who were the better side throughout. Two great goals by Goncalo Guedes (finally fully fit) was the difference. Getafe lead both Sevilla and Valencia by 2 points for 4th with five to play. Part of me wants to see Getafe go to the UCL, but I respect the continued rebirth of Valencia too. Interesting to see who gets that final Champions League spot.
Valencia also still has the opportunity to qualify by winning the Europa League. Though it's a tough road facing Arsenal in the semis, and most likely Chelsea in the finals.
 

bosox4283

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I have been disappointed to see Alaves slip over the last several games: it was exciting to have two small teams -- Alaves and Getafe -- fighting for the fourth Champions League spot rather than the traditional 4th place squads (Valencia and Sevilla).

I give Valencia a lot of credit for sticking with Marcelino, their manager, after the team's horrendous start to the year. Valencia is now in the Copa del Rey final, the semi-finals of the Europa League, and fighting for fourth in La Liga. Amazing turn-around.
 

rguilmar

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I give Valencia a lot of credit for sticking with Marcelino, their manager, after the team's horrendous start to the year. Valencia is now in the Copa del Rey final, the semi-finals of the Europa League, and fighting for fourth in La Liga. Amazing turn-around.
Agreed. A lot of teams would’ve sacked their managers. Schalke had similar success last season and a similarly tough start to this season. Not saying the firing was undeserved, just shows how short memories are at these big clubs, even ones without much recent success.
 

wonderland

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It was a tough situation but Schalke gave Tedesco until March 14. He had plenty of time to turn things around or at least get straightened out.
 

rguilmar

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36 rounds down and two to go, and a whole lot of teams not giving a crap about the season anymore. 1-3 have been set for a while, and mid table has also been pretty well defined for some time. Only interesting topics are the fight for Europe and against relegation.

Getafe have surprised me with how they’ve held onto fourth. I honestly don’t catch a lot of their games, but you can’t argue with results. Valencia and Sevilla still have a chance (especially with Valencia’s thrashing of Huesca). I would have put money on Valencia surging to fourth, but credit where credit is due I guess. One for the Champions League, the other two to the Europa League.

Girona’s end of season struggles have put them back in the relegation zone. I personally favor teams who can score goals in the fight for survival, and having a goal scorer like Stuani had me thinking the Catalans will survive (and Valladolid was destined for the drop). But they sit in 18th right now. Of course, a win over Levante next round can solve a lot of problems.

With so many teams mailing in the end of the season, we will probably see some strange results.
 

rguilmar

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And it’s down to one left. Valencia sit 4th, with tiebreakers against both Sevilla and Getafe. Getafe need to get more points than Valencia, while Sevilla needs to win and have both Valencia and Getafe to lose to qualify for the UCL. I think I have the tiebreakers right.

At the other end, Valladolid have somehow survived. Girona are most likely joining Rayo and Huesca in La Segunda. They need Celta to lose while also winning by a wide margin (goal differential is the 3rd tiebreaker in La Liga, and Celta has a wide advantage there).

Oh, and some striker wants a new club.
 

rguilmar

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Not sure if this thread is the best place for La Segunda news, but it’s down to the last week of play. Osasuna is up for sure, making 5 teams from Basque Country in La Liga next year (I know Pamplona isn’t in the Basque region, but it’s a historically Basque territory). Granada is back up as well. The third place playoff will definitely have Malaga, Albacete, Mallorca, and one of Depor, Cadiz, and Oviedo (just look at their recent history for some inspiration- true phoenix of a club). I’d love to see Depor get back up though.

Rough season for Catalan clubs in La Segunda. Both Tarragona and Reus join Córdoba in going down. Reus in particular had a terrible season. They essentially were forced to fold mid-season for failing to play their players (followers of the USMNT might recall this). They forfeited every remaining game and have been suspended for three years. All of their players basically became free agents. Seems like the death penalty to me. Personally this sucks as they are located very close to my family’s farms (so is Tarragona but Reus is closer).
 

rguilmar

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La Segunda promotion playoffs begin today.

Malaga-Depor
Mallorca-Albacete

Albacete hasn't been in La Liga since 04-05, and have spent the time since then bouncing between Segunda A and Segunda B. At one point Iniesta became the majority shareholder, but I am not sure if that's still true (he played there before joining Barca), but he personally bailed them out of financial difficulties years ago when they weren't able to pay wages. Mallorca last played in La Liga in 12-13 and at one point they were dropped down to Segunda B where they were close to losing the right to play at their home stadium (the highest ranked team in Palma retain that right and Atletico Baleares had the chance to pass Mallorca). Deportivo La Coruna were just relegated last year. I have a soft spot for them going back to those Super Depor teams back in the late 90s and early 2000s, and I would love to see them bounce back up to La Liga (plus Depor-Celta is a fun derby). Malaga has one of those turbulent histories. Dissolved, reborn, more financial issues, bought by wealthy Qatari, huge investment, relegation. Look at the 11-12 squad; Van Nistelrooy, Cazorla, Isco, Monreal, Toulalan, Demichelis, Juaquin, Julio Baptista. Like Depor, they are hoping to bounce back after being relegated last season.

Both ties are home-and-home, with the winners also playing a home-and-home tie with the right to back to the bigtime.
 

InstaFace

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La Liga just got a big fine from regulators for spying on its app users, using microphones and Shazam-like technology to pick up on which bars were illegally streaming games. In monetary terms it's a slap on the wrist but in the broader sense it's a wake-up call about apps intentionally misleading people about what they're doing. As the saying goes, if you're not the customer (i.e. paying $$$), you're the product.

Also: The emerging standard for what data-privacy protections actually exist appears to be headed towards "when it feels creepy", which this does. But that's not really a standard I want to be governed by.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Continuing in the vein of La Liga and its members being morally bankrupt, Sevilla's lack of payment on Clément Lenglet's €3.7m sell-on clause to AS Nancy-Lorraine due from his sale to Barcelona has led to the club being relegated from Ligue 2 to the Championnat National (third tier of French football) for financial reasons.

Sevilla are using the same tactic they tried to use in the Seydou Keïta transfer to Barcelona, whereby they did not respect the written sell-on clause agreed with RC Lens due to the way in which release clauses are paid in Spain (club gives the player the release clause money and the player pays it himself). The Court of Arbitration for Sport ultimately made Sevilla pay in the Keïta case, but given the timing it does not appear the already year-long appeal to CAS will be resolved in time to save Nancy-Lorraine.
 

rguilmar

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In the fight to join La Liga 19-20, it’s down to Depor and Mallorca.

Malaga might not be playing top tier football next season, but Javier Ontiveros most likely will be. He was a beast on a big stage scoring a Ronaldo-esque golazo and getting an assist, and I imagine several top team will be interested.

Also, twelve teams in La Liga 19-20 will represent cities where Castilian Spanish isn’t the only official language- 5 Basque, 5 Catalan/Valencian, 1 Galego with the last being either Catalan/Balearic (Mallorca) or Galego (Depor). Given the recent political climate, and how in Spain soccer and politics are interwoven, it seemed worth noting.
 

rguilmar

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Quick update:
Depor take a 2-0 lead to Mallorca after the first leg at the Riazor. Two points of conflict went to the home side (rightfully imo)- a straight red for a reckless challenge and the awarding of the second goal to Quique as the ball seemed to cross the goal line.
 

rguilmar

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Congrats to Mallorca for winning promotion to La Liga. It’ll be great to have the islanders back in the big time.

Deportivo La Coruna took a 2-0 lead to Mallorca, but lost 0-3 in the return leg. Two stunning second half goals from Mallorca was enough to seal promotion (though Depor had a last gasp header to win it on away goals go wide at the death). Another season without a Galician derby in La Liga.